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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27920212">Warmth</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMysteryWriter/pseuds/TheMysteryWriter'>TheMysteryWriter</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fishing Buddies AU [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Bendy and the Ink Machine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Christmas, Christmas Lights, Developing Friendships, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Henry becomes the studio’s Santa, Henrys a good old man, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Jolly Jeb, Short Story, Wholesome, holiday fic, i wrote this in two hours</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:02:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>748</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27920212</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMysteryWriter/pseuds/TheMysteryWriter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p></p><div class="center">
  <p>It’s been a while since Henry was last able to celebrate Christmas, so he decides to bring the Lost Ones some joy when he finds some old strings of Christmas lights locked away in a trunk.</p>
</div>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fishing Buddies AU [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1748539</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Warmth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p></p><div class="center">
  <p><br/>Hello! I drew a picture about this and the fic idea just kinda grew from there. It’s short, and not my best work, but I hope you still enjoy! </p>
  <p>While it technically falls under my Fishing Buddies AU, I like to imagine this also happens in canon at some point. ✨</p>
  <p><b>Theme</b>: https://youtu.be/UxY_ClOIbVA</p>
</div>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1"><span class="s1">—<br/><br/></span> <span class="s1">Henry had spent the whole night decorating. </span></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was around the time he vaguely thought was December—if his tally count was any sort of accurate count of time—marking over two years since he first got trapped in the studio. He was feeling nostalgic for the holidays, and wanted to bring some cheer to the downtrodden Lost Ones as a gift. He didn’t even tell Jeb.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">With a bit of searching around, Henry located and dug out the stringed lights left behind from one of the few holiday parties the studio had in-house, which he then hulled back to the Lost One’s common room area to set up.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It took a lot of work to get them all hung up, and he was sweating by the end of it, but when he finally did finish, he felt proud of himself. Jeb happened to wander in while they were still unplugged, and the fisherman’s widened eyes and silent amazement was more than enough to tell to Henry that this was a great plan. But now that his friend was here, he had another idea as well.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Upon requesting his help, Jeb was eager to jump at the opportunity, wanting to help this rag-tag Santa make it the best surprise that it could be. With a bit more preparing and a costume change, things were finally ready, and Henry went out to gather up the Lost Ones before ushering them into the room. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The creatures were hesitant at first; cautious of the man’s invitation despite having spent so much time with him recently. That concern and confusion only grew deeper upon seeing one of their own standing there in the center, decked out in a fluffy red hat and sweater, wound up in these very same colored strings that now covered their entire room. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But as Henry plugged in the lights, all became clear, and those looks of nervousness and fear were quickly lost as a collective gasp rose up when Jeb and the dim room suddenly began to glow brighter.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Stretching around and above them like a web of intricately woven spider threads designed to catch the stars themselves, the Lost Ones could only stare at a complete loss at the warm, silent symphony of colorful lights that lit up their dreary world. Even Jeb was stricken with amazement.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s1">“What is all this..?”</span> </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s1">“It’s so beautiful..”</span> </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s1">“Look! Look! Have you ever seen such a sight?”</span> </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Fingers pointing, murmurs and noises of joy, shock, and awe—it all began to rise up excitedly, and the wonder in their eyes was more than enough to make all the backbreaking work worth it. Henry’s heart was full as it swelled with joy and the man’s smile threatened to stay stuck on his face forever as he beamed from ear to ear. (Which was a fate he’d be okay with.)</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thought you all deserve something nice,” he eventually explained when they began to turn to him with widened eyes and murmurs of thanks. “Tis the season, after all.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“<em><strong>Christmas!”</strong></em> A haggard old Lost One cried out, finally connecting the dots. His face softened. “I had almost forgotten..”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">As the word began to circulate, causing a spark of recognition to light up within their eyes, Henry couldn’t help but smile wider. Warmth. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">This is what the season had always been about to him, aside from busy schedules and deadlines. It was a time to give warmth and hope to those who might not otherwise have it. It was about seeing the joy on people’s faces, and being together. Setting up lights was such a simple thing.. and yet, he knew that, to them, it meant something so much more.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">For a moment, he could see people coming to life again. Souls with foggy memories at best, suddenly coming alive and starting to celebrate something wonderful that had all had in common. And being in their joy was as therapeutic to Henry as it was to them.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He then glanced over at his friend, who was lifting his light covered arms to show them off and admire the radiating show that he had been wrapped in as well. His glowing eyes gave away that he was just as spellbound as the rest of them, and his movements drew several others in, wanting to be closer to the warmth and examine the lights for themselves. Henry chuckled softly.</span>
</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">For a creature made of ink, his friend sure made a wonderful Christmas tree. </span><br/><br/>”Merry Christmas, everyone.”</p>
  </div></div>
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